We are coming to the end of the first dry day in about a week. Apparently, it is “monsoon season” in Central Pennsylvania. Creeks and the river have been running down main roads and getting from here to there has become an adventure in problem-solving, not to mention creativity.
Having clients stranded or pumping out basements has left me with time to “play catch up” and actually get some things done at work. Hallelujah. Not as stressed as I was.
Lin told me there has been an influx of new Facebook group members. She reported there are many new members struggling with the diagnosis and wondering about the future. She has been republishing pages about coping skills, but I thought I would do a quick review anyway.
First of all, the chances of you going totally blind are small. Age-related macular degeneration is a condition of the macula and affects central vision. It is important all patients with AMD to learn the facts about their condition. Knowledge truly is power. What we imagine is often 100 times worse than reality. Often that monster under the bed is actually a dust bunny. And no, I am not trivializing AMD and calling it a dust bunny. However, it only has sharp horns and razor-sharp fangs if you give them to it.
Get the facts. Knowing what you are dealing with is a lot less scary than what you imagine.
Along with getting the facts goes acceptance. We cannot solve a problem unless we accept we have a problem to solve! Acceptance that, yes, you are truly in this fix will allow you to go and look for help. Fighting reality may work for a while, but in the end, we get creamed.
I will admit I got more from agencies than many other people get. I admit it. I have a big mouth and a will of iron. I am obscenely stubborn. For another thing, I am still working. People who are not working don’t get as much. After all, in my state Blindness and Visual Services is a subsection of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Their whole goal is to keep you working.
That means ideally, if at all possible, you go to agencies while you are still working or at least are in a position to go to work. If you are not in those positions, go anyway. People who do best with vision loss are those who learn practical skills and get the necessary assistive devices. Even if they won’t pay for your devices, agencies can make recommendations for things you might eventually purchase.
If I had to say which one thing to have, it would be an iPad. There are multiple, free apps that can take the place of more expensive equipment and do the job almost as well.
So those would be my recommendations for starting to cope well with AMD. The start is to reclaim your power. Remember vision loss can be damn inconvenient, but in the end, it is a limiting factor, not a paralyzing one. And in the end, just like traveling in a flood zone, with a little problem solving and creativity, you can get there!
Written August 16th, 2018